Germany Just Kicked Out The CIA's Berlin Station Chief

"The representative of the U.S. intelligence services at the
United States embassy has been asked to leave Germany,"
Steffen Seibert, a government spokesman, said
in a statement.

The White
House told Business Insider it was aware of the reports. It
didn't comment directly on what it said was an "intelligence
matter," but Caitlin Hayden, a National
Security Council spokeswoman, said further cooperation between
German and U.S. intelligence services was "essential."

"We have seen these reports and have no comment on a
purported intelligence matter," Hayden said in an email.
"However, our security and intelligence relationship with Germany
is a very important one and it keeps Germans and Americans safe.
It is essential that cooperation continue in all areas and we
will continue to be in touch with the German government in
appropriate channels."

There have been two recent rows over suspected German spies
feeding information to the U.S.

Last week, Germany uncovered a suspected mole who was
feeding information to the CIA about parliamentary inquiries
resulting from disclosures made known by former NSA contractor
Edward Snowden.

Then, on Wednesday, Berlin revealed a "more
serious" investigation involving someone in the
military who worked in the Defense Ministry in Berlin.

Details are murky as even President Obama was
left in the dark about the first case and may not have known
about the second.

Merkel has also expressed disapproval over U.S. spying on her
unencrypted cellphone as well as general U.S. spying by the NSA
in Germany. The NSA and Germany's BND spy service
work closely.

Seibert added that Germany continues to seek "close and trusting"
cooperation with its Western partners, "especially the United
States."